Dough greasing device



H. 3. RHODES DOUGH GREASING DEVICE April 28, 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 10, 1950 'fl/l/II lllllllllfffll Y m.. E TD N mm .a W T I T C T R F R E 7H April 28, 1953 H. C. RHODES DOUGH GREASING DEVICE Filed llay 10, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR.

I HERBERT c RHODES April 1953 H. p. RHODES 2,636,470

noucn GREASING DEVICE Filed May 10, 1950 3' Sheets-Sheet 3 I" ;;i WW" 1 3::

' ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 28, 1953 DOUGH GREASI NG DEVICE Herbert C. Rhodes, Portland, Oregn, assignor to Read Standard Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Application May 10, 1950, Serial No. 161,142

9 Claims. (CL 11816) outside surface of a molded piece of dough previous to the depositing of the dough in a baking pan. As is well known, the main purpose of I applying the grease or oil to the surface of the dough is to prevent the dough from sticking to the baking pan and thus to enable the resulting loaf of bread or other product to be easily removed from the pan after the completion of the baking. The proper greasing of the dough eliminates the necessity for greasing the pan.

Various means have been tried, where the preparation and baking of dough products is done on such large scale that it is not practical for the greasing of the dough to be done manually, for applying this desired coating of grease or oil to the molded dough pieces mechanically on their way to the baking pan-s. Thus attempts have been made to apply oil to pieces of dough by means of sprays, and also to have the dough contact endless traveling belts of canvas and the like which are mechanically coated with oil or melted grease. These means, however, have not proven satisfactory due to the fact that they do not cause the oil or grease to be evenly distributed over the entire surface of the dough or else cause the oil or grease to be distributed in such heavy amounts that the resulting crust produced by the baking is too greasy.

Another. object of the present invention is to provide improved means for applying oil or melted grease to the surfaces of the pieces of dough, which means will avoid the above mentioned difficulties.

A further object of the invention is to provide improved and novel dough greasing means which will be simple in construction, in operation, and in maintenance.

These objects and other related advantages I .have been able to obtain by employing, as part of my dough greasing means, a plurality of separate but cooperating endless chain grease conveyors of novel form and arrangement, operating in the manner hereinafter briefly described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary sectional side elevation of my improved dough greasing means;

Fig. 2 is a transverse section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

' Fig. 3 is a side elevation corresponding to the sectional side elevation of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a top plan view with a top broken away;

portion of the Fig. 4A is an enlarged fragmentary sectional plan of the mounting of one end of a roller shown in Fig. 4; v

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary enlarged section of the float control for the oil reservoir shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged view, partly in perspective and partly in section, of a portion of one of the endless chains which act to convey the oil or melted grease to the dough;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary View of the chain-moving roller, the view being taken on line 1-1 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 8 is a transverse section of the roller taken on line 8-8 of Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary view of the chain moving roller similar to Fig. 7, but showing a chain resting support acting to hold two of the chains lifted out of contact with the chain-moving roller;

Fig. 10 is a section on line ill-4E3 of Fig. 9;

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary top plan view of the chain resting support of Fig. 9 and corresponding end of the roller, but drawn to a smaller scale; and

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary and more or less diagrammatic sectional elevation, corresponding in part to Fig. 2, and illustrating a pumping system for supplying light oil to the dough greaser in place of the oil-supplying means illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 5.

My dough greasing means is mounted in a housing consisting of a pair of side walls l0 located on opposite sides of the dough conveyor and a top cover portion II. A pan for oil (or melted grease) I 2 is supported in the housing at a spaced distance above the dough conveyor so that the pieces of dough will have ample space to pass underneath the pan l2. Preferably oil is used for the greasing of the dough, although warm liquid grease may be used if desired, and the oil or grease in the pan l2 may be kept at any suitable desired temperature by thermostatically controlled electric heating means (not shown).

Phe oil or liquid grease is supplied to the pan I2 from a tank, indicated in part at l3 in Fig. 1, having an outlet pipe I4. A float valve [5 (Figs. 2 and 5) controls the discharge of the oil from the tank I 3 and acts to maintain the same at a constant level in the pan l2, as will be'evident from Fig. 2.

The molded pieces of dough, which are to be coated with the oil (or grease) prior to being deposited in the baking pans, are indicated by the reference character l6 in Figs. '1 and 2.

These pieces of dough are moved along through the dough greasing means and to the baking pans on an endless traveling belt H (see also Fig. 4).

A plurality of identical endless chains N3, of the same length, arranged close together but separated from each other by equally-spaced intervals at least during part of their travel, pass over a pair of supporting rollers l9 and 20 (Fig. 1) located beyond opposite ends of the pan l2, and under a third roller 2i mounted within the pan [2. The roller 26 is rotated, by means to be described later, and the rotation of this roller causes the chains to move slowly through the pan of oil 12, and, as the chains leave the pan'EZ, they carry a certain amount of oil from the pan whichwill cling to them. These chains if), as shown in Fig. 1, are long enough so that the lower portionsof the chains will come into engagement with the pieces of dough it as the pieces of dough are moved along beneath the pan E2 on the belt H, and, when coming into contact with the dough pieces, will freely conform to part of the contour of the dough.

Obviously there will be irregularities in the shape and contour of the dough pieces, but the separate flexible chains will accommodate themselves to the same, whereas a broad flat belt, when employed as the means for applying oil to the dough may hit only the socalled high places. This has been one of the main reasons why the application of oil to the dough by means of belts of canvas and the like, acting as conveyors of the oil, has proven unsatisfactory.

As each piece of dough, moving from left to right as viewed in Fig. 1, encounters theoil covered chains i8, which are moving slowly in an opposite direction, the piece of dough will be rotated counterclockwise by the chains (as viewed in Fig. 1) with the result that the entire more or less cylindrical surface of the piece of dough I will be brought into contact with the oil-carrying chains :3 before the piece of dough passes beyond the dough greasing means. As the chain it are drawn upwardly and over the roller l9, they pass through a notched guide 22 (shown most clearly in Fig. 4) which is provided with notches spaced short, equal distances apart, one chain passing through each notch. In this way the chains are kept spaced at a slight distance from each other as they pass into and through the oil pan 2, with the result that each chain receives a coating of oil in the pan !2 without interference from, or contact with, any other or adjacent chain. While the chains are free to contact each other as they come into engagement with the pieces of dough is, the fact that they are all of identical length and follow parallel paths prior to moving downwardly from the roller 29, prevents them from riding over each other or failing to continue to be spread substantially over a sufficiently wide area to cover the dough surface as the dough is moved along by the belt in one direction while the chains are moving in the opposite direction.

The chains l8 are not drawn to scale in Figs. 1, 2, and 4 but have been drawn larger by comparison for the sake of clarity. These chains consist of hollow metal spheres connected by short link bars. The chains are similar both in size and construction to the familiar chain used in pull-sockets for electric light fixtures and for other purposes. Their construction is shown clearly in Fig. 6. The hollow metal spheres 23 are preferably of from 1% of an inch to of an inch in outside diameter. Each sphere 23 has a pair of diametrically opposite holes 24 of larger diameter than the main diameter of the wire link bars 25 which connect the spheres. Each end portion 25 of each link bar 25 within a sphere is enlarged or spread until its diameter considerably exceeds the diameter of the holes 24 in the sphere through which the bars 25 extend, and these enlarged ends 26 prevent the link bars from being pulled loose from the spheres. The link bars 25 are of such length that the spheres can not be spaced more than about inch apart. Chains of this general type are so well known for other uses that further description is unnecessary.

As the chains pass through the pan 52 the spheres 23 and link bars 25 become coated with oil. Some of the oil also enters partway into the openings 24 in the spheres. As the chains then leave the pan 1?. and pass around the driven roller it and then down into contact with the dough pieces it a considerable oil coating will cling to each chain, thus to each sphere and link bar, and especially will collect on the link bars in. the spaces between the spheres. Capillary attraction is largely responsible for thistendency of the oil to cling to the spheres and link bars. However, as the chains contact the dough pieces 16, a considerable portion of the oilclinging to the chains is gradually given off. This results in oil being applied to the dough pieces in the nature of small deposits close together, instead of excessive amounts in more widely separated areas which so often happens when previously tried mechanical means for greasing dough have been used. These small deposits of oil close together then spread until they merge and form a thin film on the dough surface. The spreading of these small deposits of oil into a thin film on the dough surface is due in part to the engagement of the chains with the dough surface and in part to the fact that the dough pieces are also rolled on the belt as the result of their engagement with the chains. The combined action causes the desired even spreading and distributing of the oil over the dough surface. The fact that the individual spheres and link bars in each chain have some relative movement with respect to each other when encountering the dough pieces also aids in the depositing of the oil from the chains in small amounts on the dough pieces.

The viscosity of the oil in the pan l2 and the speed with which the chains I3 are moved will have some influence on the resulting oil film coating on the dough surface. By having the oil-in the pan maintained at fairly uniform viscosity and temperature and by keeping the movement of the chains at proper regulated speed, uniform results will be assured as the individual pieces of dough, of uniform size, pass at predetermined speed and at uniform-intervals through my dough greasing means.

The chain-moving roller 26 is formed with spaced annular grooves 38 (Figs. 7, 8 and 9) for most of its length, there being one groove for each chain it, with the width of the grooves 38 corresponding to the spheres 23 in the chains. The ridges 39 between the grooves 38 have cuts 40 made across them at intervalsi'or example, at intervals of and the front end of each resulting ridge section, with respect to the direction of rotation of the roller 20 (thus the ends 41 in Figs. 7 and 9) is deformed so as to extend slightly into the adjacent groove, and, by engaging a sphere of the chain in the groove, prevents the possibility of the chains 18 slipping in the grooves 38 and thus failing to be moved in unison with the rotation of the roller 20. The

direction of rotation of the roller 20 is indicated by the arrows in Figs. 7 and 9 and is clockwise as viewed in Fig. 1.

As will be observed from Figs. 1 and 2, the oil-carrying moving chains I8 will engage the substantially cylindrical surface of the piece of dough l6 and the flexibility of the chains enables them to conform to any irregularities in the contourof the dough piece. Depending upon the length of the dough piece, generally a chain will also contact each end face of the dough piece, such as'the chains we and l8b in Fig. 2.

If the dough pieces are of insufficient length to be contacted by all the chains, the chains which have no contact with the dough, such as the chains 18c and [8d in Fig. 2, if allowedto continue moving in unison with the other chains, might drip oil down on the traveling beltlzl with the result that an accumulation of oil on the belt I! would eventually occur which could spreadtoo much oil on the dough or which at least would waste oil. Toavoid such possibility I provide adjustable means at each end of the chain-moving roller 20 for keeping the end chains from being driven by the roller 20. Such chain control means will be described with reference to Figs. '7, 9, and ll.

A chain resting support 42, in the form of an incomplete cylinder with the diameter of the inside surface greater than the external diameter of the roller 20, is supported on a bracket 43 which is slidable on a horizontal bar 44 and is secured in desired position by a clamping screw .45. A similar chain resting support (not shown) .is similarly mounted at the other end of the roller 2B. When no chains are to be kept from moving, the chain resting support is placed in the inactive position illustrated in Fig. 7. Now let it be assumed that two end chains have no contact with the dough pieces and therefore should be kept from moving. In such case the two chains are manually lifted from their grooves on the roller and are slipped over the chain resting support 42 which is slid on its supporting bar 44 until it extends over the grooves of the chains in question. The chain resting support will then be in the position illustrated in Figs. 9 and 11, and thus, by holding these two chains out of contact with the roller 25, will keep them at rest while the remaining chains are being moved. The inner end of the resting support 42 has a peripheral flange 43 to prevent the chains at rest from inadvertently slipping off that end of'the chain resting support. In this way any chains at either end of the roller 20,

"which are not having actual contact with the dough pieces, can be held at rest so as not to move with the others and thus prevent any undesired distribution of the oil.

In order to permit some adjustment in the effective length of all the moving chains the idling roller l9 (Figs. 1 and 4), over which all the chains pass, and the adjacent notched guide 22, are

mounted at each end in a plate 41 (shown more clearly in Fig. 4A) which plate 41 is held by a pair of bolts 48 which extend through a horizontal slot 49 in the side wall H) of the housing. Thus by shifting the mounting plates 41 the extent to which the chains l8 drop down below the oil pan !2 can be modified.

In Figs. 1, 2 and 5 I have indicated means by which the pan [2 can be kept filled with oil from a tank or reservoir positioned above the pan l2. However, if relatively light oils are to be 'used for greasing the dough it may be preferred to use a pumping system for "maintaining the oil supply in the pan i2. Such a system is shown for example, in Fig. 12. A supply tank 50 is located at any convenient place below the pan l2. A pipe 5| leads from the tank 50 to a pump 52 and a pipe 53 leads from the pump 52 through a needle valve 54 and control to a discharge outlet over the pan [2. A relief valve ,55 is connected between the pipes 5| and 53 to prevent excessive pressure being built up in the pipe 53 if the volume of oil-passing through the pump is too excessive by comparisionwith the amount trip plate 27 (Figs. 1 and 4) is secured to a shaft 28, the latter being supported at each end in journal bearings in the housing side walls. As each piece of doughcontacts the trip plate 21, as the dough is moved along by the traveling belt H, the trip plate is momentarily lifted by the dough and then drops down again as the dough piece passes out of contact with the trip plate. A lug 29 (Fig. 3) on one end of the shaft 28 engages a control member for an air valve 30. Air under compression from a suitable source (not shown) is permitted to pass through the air valve 30 into an air cylinder 3| (Figs. 3 and 4) whenever the control member is pushed to the right(as viewed in Fig. 3) by the lug 29, and consequently whenever the trip plate 2'! is lifted. The momentary passage of air under pressure into cylinder 3| actuates a piston 32 which is connected'with the end of an arm 33. The top end of the arm 33 is pivotally supported on the shaft 31 of the roller 20. A pawl 34 mounted on the arm 33 engages a ratchet wheel 35 which is secured to the shaft 31 of the roller 26 so that rotation of the ratchet wheel produces rotation of the roller 20. A spring 36 holds the pawl 34 in engagement with the ratchet wheel 35. An adjustable screw control, the outer end of which is indicated at 58 in Fig.

inder 3| and thus the extent of the swing of the arm 33 and movement of the pawl 34. By adjusting this; screw control, for example, the ratchet wheel 35 can be made to advance an amount of one tooth or a plurality of teethwith each piston stroke.

. Thus each time a piece of dough lifts the trip plate 21 the roller 20 is given a partial rotation. Increasing the number of dough pieces and thus spacing the dough pieces in closer succession on the traveling belt I! will also automatically cause the intermittent partial rotations of the roller 20 and the movement of the chains [8 to be speeded up somewhat. Since this same lifting of the trip plate 21 has been utilized by me to control the operation of other devices which I have described in another copending application, I have found this means for driving the roller 20 and moving the chains I8 most convenient, but obviously other means could also be used to accomplish the same purpose.

stantially spherical members loosely connected by ampere short links, suchas the chains illustrated and described, will work most satisfactorily inmy in- "vention since such chains-pass smoothly over the dough \pieces and perform-their function ordepositing. and spreading the oil on the-dough very e'fiiciently.

ies mentioned earlier, oilxis preferablylusedior greasing the dough. However, .grease in rheated liquid vstate, may be satisfactorilyt'employed with .my -invention, and lit is Io be understoodrthat whenever the term 'foili. is aised here in;the:specincation orclaimsiith'e'term is toib'e understood to include br'oa'dlylany doughagreasing:snhstance'rln diqui'dlorsemi-li'guid form. I

lilcla'imii 1. In a dough-greasingdevicerlfcr'applying ofl flzoithezsuriaceszoft dough pieces, embodying :azcon- .reeyorzlior :supportmg :pieces .or :Ldough, a housing disposed above :said conveyor, ma vpair isof :v rollers motatahlytmounted in 'said lhousing x-superj acent \said conveyor :;-and extending transversely over :the:.-path1of trauelnisaid :conizeyon-ra pan tor montaihing-bil supported ssaid :housingxinterunediaterssaidrrollers, zarplurality or Idiscrete lend- .less 'iiexi'ble chains entrained cover :said .zrollers,

zsaid ichains mextending intthendirection: of :travel rof said-conveyor and .being spaced. laterally and zparallelaone'wihh respect to another, said chains ibeinguofrsuchlengthithatthe loweriruns thereof have sufficient ssla'ol: "when the upper runs are taut ior engaging rand-.aassuming the contour ;oi :piece's1of:doughxcnsaidicomzeyor, a =guide:rrusmber having a :plurality of .spaced notches formed therein disposedza'djacent one of sai'd'r'ollersisaid guidemember'engagingsaid endless chains for '-guiding'the chains .of .said roller in spacedparallel relation, a plurality:of grooves provided in the :other of said rollers tior receiving said chains, :projections on said last mentionedzrcller engageable with said: chains for'moving'zthe chains upon the rotation of said rollerpa' trip 'plateassociated "with :saidconveyor, driving means :connected :to :said last :mentioned roller, means zon'sai'd itrip plate for actuating saiddrivingxmeans to rotate saidla'st mentioned roller contemporaneous with the --actuation of said trip plate by'a piece 50f dough on said conveyor.

"2,. In :a" dough greasing :device 'IfOIi applying o'il totha-surfacesoi pieces of dough embodyingxa conveyorfor supporting dough'pieces, 'aihousing disposed above said- ,conueyorsa pair :01 :rollersijrotatably. mounted in said housing above saidrconveyor and-extending transversely roizer' the path of travel of said conveyor, a pan for oil supported in said housing intermediate .said 'rollers in aligned-relation therewith, 'a'pluralityof discrete endless flexible chains "supported onsaidtrollers, said chains-extending in'the direction of' travel .of-saidconveyor and being' spaced laterally and parallel one with :respect' to another, said chains ibeingoisuch' lengthithatithe lower iruns'rthereof. havesufiicient slack when the upper'runsaretaut for engaging Jandassuming fthe'contour of pieces of :dough on said conveyor,- guide meansrad'j acent TSBE-ifif said "rollers for retaining'rsaid chains :in spaced. parallel relation, the other-of :said. rollers constituting the drive wrollcr for said end- 4655 *chains and having a plurality of spaced grooves formed therein for the reception "of said .ohains, meanson said drive-roller' arrange'd to (extend into the TigLGOVCS formed therein for engaging said chains-sand moving the "chains oipon the rotation of said drivingroller iinua direction opposite-to the direction not movement :of said spaced iparallelirelation with said. driving roller, brackets slidably mounted on .said bar, chain rest supports of cylindrical configuration carried by said brackets and adapted. to partially incase' said driving roller for retaining a portion of said'endless chains out of engagement with said driving 'roller a 'iiangenprovided on said chain supports torainsuringithe retention of said chainson said supports, anddriving means connected'tosaid driving-roller for moving said chains.

,3. ;In ardough greasing device: for applying oil to the surfaces of pieces of dough i'embodying a iconveyorz'forisupporting pieces of dough, a pluzrality ofxrollers arranged in spaced aligned rela- $1011 and. extending transversely of. said conveyor and superjacent thereof, :a painter containing oil interposed .loetween and .in aligned relation -with said rolleram'plurality of endless chains independentlyi'entrained; in parallelism over. substantially the entire length of said rollers and arranged .in;spaced1 relation.to and in alignment with said conveyor, reach of said chains being of such length that the "lower runs thereof have siulicientislack when the upper :runs are :taut iforlengaging and assuming thetcontourof pieces of doughnn said :1conveyorand driving :means connected to one of said rollers for moving each of said chains throughpsaidpan.

,4. .In-a dough greasing device for applying oil to the surfaces of pieces tof .dough embodying-a conveyor for supportineiipieces of dough, a plurality of;r.ollers. arranged in spaced aligned relation and extending transversely of saidrconveyor and superjacent thereof, a pan for containing oil interposed between and in aligned relation with said rollers,,a plurality :of endless chains independently-entrained in parallelism over substantially the entire length rof .said rollers and arranged in spaced relation to and in alignment ".vithzsai'd conveyor, each of said chains. being of such length that the lower runs thereof 'haveisutficient slack ivhen'the upper runs are 'taut'for engaging andassuming the contour of pieces :of dough on said conveyor, driving means connected to oneoi said rollers'iormoving each of said 'chains through said pan, guide means cooperating with the other of said rollers for engaging and retaining said chainslin parallelismand ..'a roller mounted in .said pan and beneath which said chains pass.

5. :In a dough greasing device for sapply'ingzoil \to the surfaces of dough pieces. embodying 'a'conyeyorxfor supporting'pieces of dough, a'plurality .of rollers :arrangedinspaced aligned relationan'd extending transversely 'Of said =.conveyor and :superjacent thereof, a pan .for containing 'zoil interposed between and .in aligned relation'with said rollersyatank .for containing a supply of oil, a conduit connectingsaid tank with :said pans, afloat actuated-valve in said pan for controlling the level of'oil .in said pan, aplurality of andless chains independently entrained in parallelism over substantially the entire length of said .:rollers and arranged in spaced relation to and in alignment with said conveyor; :each ofsaid chains including a plurality of spheres joined .one to another by link'bars, each of said chains being of such length'that the lower runs thereof have sufiicient slack when the upper "runs :are taut for engaging and assuming the contour Lof piecesziof dough onzsaid conveyor, guide means cooperating with one of said rollers forretaining :said chains in parallelism,driving means coninectedtto" theirotherlof said rollers, means :on said conveyor, :a bar mounted :s'azid sshousing iin m5 ilastmenticnedmollercengaeeahle withsaidsspheres for moving said chains in a direction opposite to the direction of movement of said conveyor and a roller mounted in said pan and beneath which said chains pass.

6. In a dough greasing device for applying oil to the surfaces of dough pieces embodying a conveyor for supporting pieces of dough, a plurality of rollers arranged in spaced aligned relation and extending transversely of said conveyor and superjacent thereof, a pan for containing oil interposed between and in aligned relation with said rollers, a plurality of endless chains independently entrained in parallelism over substantially the entire length of said rollers and arranged in spaced relation to and in alignment with said conveyor, each of said chains being of such length that the lower runs thereof have sufficient slack when the upper runs are taut for engaging and assuming the contour of pieces of dough on said conveyor, guide means cooperating with one of said rollers for engaging and retaining said chains in parallelism, driving means connected to the other of said rollers, said last mentioned roller having a plurality of grooves formed therein for receiving said chains, the portions of said last mentioned roller defining said grooves having spaced projections formed thereon arranged to extend into said grooves for engaging said chains to move said chains through said pan in the same direction as the direction of movement of said conveyor.

7. In a dough greasing device for applying oil to the surfaces of dough pieces embodying a conveyor for supporting pieces of dough, a plurality of rollers arranged in spaced aligned relation and extending transversely of said conveyor and superiacent thereof, a pan for containing oil interposed between and, in aligned relation with said rollers, a plurality of endless chains independently entrained in parallelism over substantially the entire length of said rollers and arranged in spaced relation to and in alignment with said conveyor, each of said endless chains including a plurality of spheres connected one to another in spaced relation by link bars, each of said chains being of such length that the lower runs thereof have sufiicient slack when the upper runs are taut for engaging and assuming the contour of pieces of dough on said conveyor, guide means cooperating with one of said rollers for retaining said chains in parallelism, driving means connected to the other of said rollers, said last mentioned roller having a plurality of spaced grooves formed therein for receiving said chains, the portions of said last mentioned roller defining said grooves having spaced projections formed thereon and arranged to extend into said grooves for engaging the spheres of said chains to move the upper run of said chains through said pan while moving the lower run in a direction opposite to the direction of movement of said conveyor and support means adjacent said last mentioned roller for engaging and retaining certain of said chains out of said grooves.

8. In a dough greasing device for applying oil to the surfaces of dough pieces embodying a conveyor for supporting pieces of dough, a plurality of rollers arranged in spaced aligned relation and extending transversely of said conveyor and superjacent thereof, a pan for containing oil interposed between and in aligned relation with said rollers, a plurality of endless chains independently entrained in parallelism over substantially the entire length of said rollers and arranged in spaced relation to and in alignment with said conveyor, each of said endless chains including a plurality of spheres connected one to another in spaced relation by link bars, each of said chains being of such length that the lower runs thereof have sufiicient slack when the upper runs are taut for engaging and assuming the contour of pieces of dough on said conveyor, guide means cooperating with one of said rollers for retaining said chains in parallelism, driving means connected to the other of said rollers, said last mentioned roller having a plurality of spaced grooves formed therein for receivin said chains, the portions of said last mentioned roller defining said grooves having spaced projections formed thereon and arranged to extend into said grooves for engaging the spheres of said chains to move the upper run of said chains through said pan while moving the lower run in a direction opposite to the direction of movement of said conveyor and means for adjusting the position of the first mentioned roller with respect to the second mentioned roller for varying the effective length of said chains.

9. In a dough greasing device for applying oil to the surfaces of dough pieces embodying a conveyor for supporting pieces of dough, a plurality of rollers arranged in spaced aligned relation and extending transversely of said conveyor and superjacent thereof, a pan for containing oil interposed between and in aligned relation with said rollers, a plurality of endless chains independently entrained in parallelism over substantially the entire length of said rollers and arranged in spaced relation to and in alignment with said conveyor, each of said chains formed of small rounded bodies flexibly joined together in spaced aligned relation by link bars, each of said chains being of such length that the lower runs thereof have sufiicient slack when the upper runs are taut for engaging and assuming the contour of pieces of dough on said conveyor, driving means connected to one of said rollers for moving said chains through said pan and guide means adjacent the other of said rollers for retaining said chains in parallelism.

HERBERT C. RHODES.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

